It was the Patriots who were supposed to walk away with all the superlatives. Best team ever, best offense ever, best record ever. I hear they even trademarked "19-0." But instead it was New York fans chanting "18-1" in Times Square last night.

Reminds me of the old "1918" chant in Yankee Stadium bleachers. Of course, Boston took that chant away from New York after they came from behind 0-3 in the playoffs against the Yankees and went on to win their first World Series since 1918. But this time around in the great New York-Boston rivalry, payback was a bitch. Instead of the Patriots having all the records, now people are asking: Was this the best Super Bowl in history? The greatest upset in history? Was the Eli Manning-David Tyree play the greatest play in Super Bowl history?

Some things we know for sure. The Giant Killer Giants will go down in history as having the best playoff run ever. I thought what Pittsburgh did a couple of years ago was amazing when they won as the wild card in the AFC, including that legendary game against the Colts, but even as a partisan Steelers fan, I have to confess this Giants run through the playoffs was even better.

They beat Tampa in Tampa. They beat Dallas in Dallas. They beat the Packers on the frozen tundra. Then they beat "the greatest team ever" Patriots in the Super Bowl. It doesn't get any better than that.

The Giants defensive line was phenomenal. As good a defensive line as there has ever been, including the 85 Bears, and the great Ravens and Bucs defenses in this decade. Overall, those defenses were better, but no one matched up to this defensive line. They should have been the collective MVP of the Super Bowl.

And that Eli Manning to David Tyree play in the final drive was as good and gutsy a play as you'll ever see. I'm calling it "The Great Escape" because it was unbelievable that Eli didn't get sacked there, but that doesn't do justice to Tyree's catch, which might have been even better. David Tyree outshines Randy Moss, Eli Manning outplays Tom Brady. If that's not that the greatest upset ever, what is?

You might be able to argue that there were a couple of games or a couple of plays that were better in NFL history, but the very fact that we're even having that argument shows you how great this game was. Congratulations to the Giant Killer Giants of '08. I didn't think they had it in them, I was wrong.

And, by the way, so was Tiki Barber, who's got to be the sickest man in America today.

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